"It is going to be a bad bushfire season. We've had a temperate winter with significant rain creating a lot of biomass to burn once it gets dry and hot. This will happen quickly."

Chris and his PhD student assess vegetation images which are available every 3-4 days. This means assessments can be made almost immediately after a bushfire has occurred. He can assess how damaging a fire has been and how effectively it was fought off, and which areas are likely to burn in the near future.

How do we communicate the effects of climate change through politics and mainstream mediaDr David Holmes, Director of the Monash Climate Change Communication Research HubContact details: +61 408 550 529 or media@monash.edu

"All of us have a fundamental need to belong and food is one of the biggest social lubricants. These tend to be memories we want to relive time and time again. Nostalgia triggers our preference for indulgent foods that are embedded in our shared or personal social histories, and this effect is further strengthened when we are dining with friends and family. In essence, our findings explain why people tend to overindulge during the Festive Season."

Reasons why some isolate themselves during a typically social seasonDr Rosanne Freak-Poli, School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineContact details: +61 412 700 632 or Rosanne.Freak-Poli@monash.edu

Are people addicted to being busy?Professor Jane Fisher, The Jean Hailes FoundationContact details: +61 3 9594 7566 or Jane.Fisher@monash.edu

Constitutional law, religious freedomAssociate Professor Luke Beck, Faculty of LawContact details: +61 403 580 311 or Luke.Beck@monash.eduLuke Beck is a constitutional lawyer and leading expert on the separation of church and state/religious freedom issues in Australia. Read some of Luke's commentary at Monash Lens

POLITICS AND FINANCE

General political commentaryDr Zareh Ghazarian, School of Social SciencesContact details: +61 402 851 224 or Zareh.Ghazarian@monash.eduorDr Nick Economou, School of Social SciencesContact details: +61 425 748 166 or Niick.Economou@monash.edu

Petrol prices have soared to record highs across Australia. What are some of the reasons behind the sudden hike? Is worse yet to come?Dr George Rivers, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Business & EconomicsContact details: +61 430 361 277 or media@monash.edu

Influence of culture on consumption behaviour; Symbolic consumption and consumer responses to the mediaDr Juliana French, School of BusinessContact details: (+603) 5514 5693 or juliana.french1@monash.edu